Paper board storage file



June 27, 1961 A. c. STRAYER 2,990,083

PAPER BOARD STORAGE FILE Filed June 17, 1960 2 Sheets -Sheet 1 Arthur C. Strayer, F12 6 v 2 3 BY %M ATTORNEY June 27, 1961 A. c. STRAYER PAPER BOARD STORAGE FILE 2 Sheets -Sheet 2 Filed June 17, 1960 INVENTOR Arthur C. Strqyer, BY

ATTORNEY .thereon.

United States- Patent 2,990,083 PAPER BOARD STORAGE FILE Arthur C. Strayer, Beaver, Pa. (New Brighton, Pa.) Filed June 17, 1960, Ser. No. 36,980 Claims. (Cl. 220-97) The present invention relates to paper board storage file and it consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements of parts herein described and claimed.

Generally there is provided a paper board storage file having a body which is capable of being shipped in a fiat condition and which may be readily assembled or disassembled without the necessity for skilled labor. The body of the device is composed of a bottom, a pair of side walls, a foldable rear wall structure and a top member which is integrally formed with the upper end of one of the side walls. The free end of the top has an integrally formed flap which is adapted to extend downwardly in abutting relation with the opposite side wall upon the inner side thereof. The flap is provided with tongues which fit into die cut openings in the bottom of the body. Novel sockets of steel or the like are affixed to the forward end portions of each of the side members and are adapted to receive therein an inverted U-shaped cross bar, the legs of which are individually receivable in the sockets. A conventional drawer is slidably received in the body of the device. The device is such that the lid or top member may be opened at any time for inspection of the contents of the drawer without the removal of the drawer from the body of the device and the flap provides great additional strength for the entire structure -while the cross bar not only adds additional strength to the device in cooperation with the metal sockets but-also acts to maintain the device in its original shape while at the same time permitting additional boxes to be stacked In a modified form of the invention, a novel connecting plate is provided for locking a series of the boxes in vertical stacked relation to one another.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a simple and efficient yet inexpensive paper board storage file which may be quickly assembled and disassembled.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in a device of the character set forth, a novel locking bar forming a part of the invention.

A still further object of the invention is the provision, in a device of the character set forth, of a novel socket member forming a part of the invention.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a device of the character set forth, a novel cover and flap structure forming a part of the invention.

A still further object of the invention is the provision, in a device of the character set forth, of novel means for locking in vertical stacked relation a series of boxes in accordance with the present invention.

Still another object of the invention is to provide, in a device of the character set forth, means for inspecting the contents of a fully packed box or file constructed in accordance with the invention.

Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following specification taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of an embodiment of the invention,

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary exploded view illustrating a cross bar and socket members forming part of the invention,

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view illustrating the bottom construction of the device illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2,

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view illustrating two 2,990,083 Patented June 27, 1961 of the files of the present invention showing the same in vertical stacked relation and illustrating a locking bar forming a part of the invention,

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 5--5 of FIGURE 1, 1

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIGURE 2,

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view illustrating certain features of the invention, and

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along line 88 of FIGURE 4.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is shown therein a storage file having a box-like body generally indicated at 10 and comprising a bottom panel 11, side walls 12 and 13 formed integrally with the side edges of the panel '11, a cover or lid 14 formed integrally with the side Wall 13 and a rear wall structure 15 which is adapted to be folded inwardly upon itself over flaps 16 formed integrally with the rearward edges of the side panels 12 and 13. A tongue 17 is integrally formed with the back wall structure 15 and is receivable in a die cut slot .18 formed in the rearward portion of the bottom member 11.

A side flap 18a is integrally formed with the free edge of the lid 14 and is provided with a pair of tongues 19 each receivable in a slot 20 formed in the bottom wall 11 adjacent the side wall 12.

A vertically extending socket member is generally indicated at 21 and one of these is attached to the forward end portion of each of the side panels 13.. The details of construction of this socket member 21 are best illus: trated in FIGURE 6 and it will be seen that each is formed of a single piece of fiat metal having a base 22 abutting the inner face of the side wall 12 and affixed to the side wall 12 by means of rivets 23 or the like. An inner socket wall member 24 extends 'in parallel spaced relation to the wall 12 and is integrally interconnected with the base 22 by a lateral wall 25. An outer socket wall 26 extends in parallel spaced relation to the outer face of the side wall 12 and is integrally interconnected with the member 24 by a front wall 27 which abuts the forward edge of the side wall 12.

A laterally extending wall 28 integrally interconnects the rearward edge of the member 26 and the rearward edge of a foot member 29 which extends forwardly therefrom in abutting relation to the outer face of the side wall 12.

The forward edge portions of the side walls 12 and 13 and of the bottom member 11 may be provided with paper tape or the like for reinforcement, as indicated at 30.

A drawer of conventional paper board structure is generally indicated at 31 and is provided with a conventional handle 32 and card-receiving plate 33.

A cross bar is generally indicated at 35 and consists of a horizontally extending bight portion 36 and a pair of dependent leg portions 37, it being apparent that the cross bar 35 is of inverted U-shape.

The side panel '12 is centrally provided in its upper edge portion with a finger opening 38 and the invention is completed with the provision of fiat metal interconnecting members 39 each centrally provided with a protuberance 40 which may be formed therein by stamping or the like.

In operation, it will be apparent that the body 10 may be shipped in flat condition and when it is desired to assemble the same, it is only necessary to fold the side panels 13 and 12 in an upward direction, next turn the flaps 16 inwardly and fold the rear wall structure 15 inwardly of the thus assembled box locking the tongue 17 in the slit 118. The flap 18w may then be extended downwardly against the inner face of the panel 12 until the tongues 19 are received in the slits 20.

Prior to this, however, a cross bar 35 is connected to the device by inserting the legs 37 thereof into the inner socket members. It will be apparent that such inner sockets are formed by the walls 25, 24 and 27 of the socket members 21. The drawer 31 may then be inserted into the body and the device is complete. When it is desired to examine the contents of the drawer 31 without removing the same from the body 10, it is only necessary to utilize the finger opening 38 to remove the cover 14 and flap 18a to thus provide temporary access to the interior of the device after which the flap 18a may be reinserted in the manner above described.

When it is desired to stack in vertical relation a plurality of the devices, it will be apparent that after each of the devices has been assembled inthe manner above described, a connecting member 39 may first be placed in the outer socket portions of the socket member 21, the downward movement of such connecting members 39 being limited to approximately the upper half portion of the socket member 21 into which it is placed due to the protuberance 40. The next device may be placed over the bottom device with the upper portions of the connecting members 39 being inserted into the socket members 21 of the newly added device. It will also be seen that the outer socket members are formed by means of the walls 26, 28 and 27.

If desired, when it is intended to stack a great many of the devices, the lid or cover 14 and its associated flap 18 may be eliminated from the devices with the exception of the topmost of a particular vertically stacked row of the devices.

While but one form of the invention has been shown and described herein, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that many minor modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A body for a drawer-type storage file com-prising an enclosure having a bottom, a rear wall, side walls, a cover, a pair of metallic vertically extending socket members atfixed to the inner faces of said side walls adjacent the open end of said enclosure, and an inverted U-shaped 4 cross bar having its legs slidably mounted receivable in said socket members.

2. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein the bight portion of said cross bar lies beneath said cover when the cover is in closed position.

3. A plurality of bodies for drawer type storage files each comprising an enclosure having a bottom, a pair of side walls, a rear wall, a cover, a pair of metallic socket members each afiixed to one of said side walls at the forward end portion thereof and each having an inner socket within said enclosure and an outer socket without said enclosure, a U-shaped cross bar having its legs slidably mounted in said inner sockets, and means including said outer sockets for interconnecting said plurality of enclosures in vertical stacked relation.

4. A plurality of bodies for drawer type storage files each comprising an enclosure having a bottom, a pair of side walls, a rear wall, a cover, a pair of metallic socket members each aflixed to one of said side walls at the forward end portion thereof and each having an inner socket within said enclosure and an outer socket without said enclosure, a U-shaped cross bar having its legs slidably mounted in said inner sockets, and means for interconnecting said plurality of enclosures in vertical stacked relation, said means comprising vertically extending fia-t metal interengaging members each partially slidably mounted in the upper portion of the outer socket of a lower enclosure and partially slidably mounted in the outer socket of the next upper enclosure.

5. A device as defined in claim 4 wherein said interengaging members are each centrally provided with a lateral protuberance whereby dropping of an entire interengaging member into a lower socket by gravity is prevented.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Collins Nov. 1, i960 

